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, Apparatus fol Dfi-stribu'ting Type. No. 224,167. Patented Feb. 3, 1880. r

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r A. FRASBR. Apparatus for Distributing "Type.

v A Jl/A WITNESSES:

- I ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ALEXANDER FRASER, OE EDINBU GH, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTINGTYPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent no. 224,167, dated February 3, 1880. Application filed June 21, 1879. Parts patented in England, April 10, 1872, November 20, 1872, May '15, 1875, and August 10, 1877.

of Edinburgh, in the county of Mid-L dthian,

Scotland, have invented Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Types, of which i1n-' I provements the following is a specification. I v I' have for several years been engaged in devising, practically testing, and perfecting apparatus for composing types and apparatus for distributing types, and I have obtained British patents of the following dates and numbers, namely: April 10, 1872,;No. 1,060;

November 20, 1872, No. 3,461; May-15, 1875,

No. 1,812; August 10, 1877, No. 3,055.

The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, and for which I now desire to obtain Letters Patent of the United States, com

prises my most recent improvements combined with such of my earlier devices as I have found to answer satisfactorily in actual practice; and I would remark that the practical success I have met with has not. been due so' much to single details as to the manner-in which the various details are combined together.

In, order to simplify the drawings, and-also size and with such repetitions of the various;

I o V V l I t devices as the total number of type-characters to be employed rcndersnecessary. I

My type-distributin g apparatus is designed to be used in combination with type-composing apparatus of a kind forming the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States; but it may also housed in combination with other kinds of composing.

which they are distributed to other trays or receptacles. The act-ionfor distributingthe typesis effected through the agency of keys successively depressed by hand, and without nicking'or other special conformation of the T 1 As my invention is distinguished mainly by .minordetails and combinations of such details, it will he most readily understood on my at once proceeding to particularly describe the apparatus with the aid of the accompanying "drawin gs, the reference-numerals in which are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated. I I

Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a front elevation, of my type-distributing apparatus with the key-frame removed. Fig. 3 isan elevation of the inner side of the distributing-plane 12,

which is slightly inclined from the vertical, the bottom ofit being the farther inward, and which is covered on this inner grooved side by framed glass plates. figure.) Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, front and side elevations of the key-frame. Figs. 6 to 11 are views of various details. Fig. 12,

Sheet 6, is a vertical section of the machine drawn to a smaller scale.

The types 1 to be distributed are carried in the form of a. column in a space between adjustable guides 2 on a plate, 3, arranged transversely at the top of the apparatus, and.

(Not shown-in the 1 the column, the outer end of which is supported by a movable block, is pushed forward by hand jor otherwise, as required, the foremost line of types dropping into a narrow horizontal line- 5, groove, 4, extending to the front of the machine, and made with its bottom a little lower fithan thesurface of the column-plate 3. The "proper transference of the line of types into the line-groove and its complete separation from the rest is-furtherassisted by a hinged plate, 5, attached to the flange of the line- 1 groove 4 opposite the column of types. This 1 hinged plate5is lifted'whenever a line of types is to be putinto the line-groove 4,and the column of types'pushed forward until the foremost line of types drops into the line-groove 4. The hinged plate 5 is then lowered, and not only insures every type getting tothe bottom of the line-groove 4, but by means of an adjustable piece, 7 attached to it and projecting slightly for the purpose, keeps back the column of types clear of the types in the linegroove 4. The types are pushed along the line-groove 4 by a pusher, 8, attached to a cord which runs in a groove in the side of the line groove 4, and, passing over a pulley near the front of the machine, is attached to a weighted lever, 9, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) centered near the back of the machine. The pusher S is drawn back to admit a fresh supply of types by a cord attached to a pulley, 10, at the back of the machine, a barrel of smaller diameter, made in the same piece with the pulley 10, having attached to it a cord passing down to a treadle, 11, by depressing which the pusher S is drawn back and the lever-weight 9 raised. This lever-weight 9 acts with changing leverage in a manner to suit the gradual diminution of the quantity of types in the line-groove 4. The forward end of the line-groove 4 terminates at the top of tliegrooved distributing-plane 12, and the opening or mouth through which the types pass from the line-groove 4 into the entrancechannel 13 of the distributing-plane is made smaller or larger to suit the size of each type, and to prevent more than one of even the thinnest types from passing at a time, by a movable mouth-piece, 14, which is attached to a rod, 15, and pressed outward by a spring, so as to tend to close or nearly close the mouth.

The position of the mouth-piece 14 is determined for each type by a vertical lever, 16, (shown in horizontal section in Fig. 9 and in front elevation in Fig. 10,) which is centerednear its lower end, and is formed with a broad part having inclined surfaces along each side of it, which inclined surfaces are acted on by horizontal rods 17. These rods 17, carried in guides on the outer side of the distributingplate, are formed with parts which project over the lever 16, and which are fitted with finely adjustable screw-pins to act on that lever, and when the rods are moved by means of the finger-keys, as hereinafter explained, they shift the lever 16 by the action of the screw-pins on itsinclined surfaces. The lever 16 is, at its upperend, provided with an adjustable screw-pin, 18,to bear onthe head of the sliding rod 15 of the mouth-piece 14, the screw-pin l8 affording a means of adj ust-ing the mouth-piece 14 to a considerable extent for all the types, while the screw-pins of the rods 17 are severally adjusted for the different thicknesses of types. The foremost type of the row in the line-groove 4 is pushed laterally into the mouth or opening formed by the mouth-piece 14 by mechanism hereinafter described, and slides on its broad side down the grooves in the distributing plane, Fig. 3. The distributing-plane is slightly inclined from the vertical, and is formed with a number of curved guide-channels for the types, and these guide-channels, which branch out from the single entrance-channel 13, are provided with doors or switches for directing and admitting the types each into its proper channel. Hinged glass covers are provided for the grooves of the distributing-plane, and prevent the type in its passage down from turning on edge. These covers are, however, supposed to be removed in Fig. 3.

The switches in the distributing-plane are divided into two sets, namely, upper or section switches, 1.), and lower or minor ones, 20, the channels being enlarged or widened for the reception of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. These switches are all fixed on pins, which form their centers of angular movement and pass through holes in the distributing-plate, having levers 21 22 fixed on them at the front or outer side of the plate, such levers being nearly in the same positions as their respective switches. The levers 21 of the upper or section switches, 19, are acted on by projections on the inner sides of the horizontal rods 17, these rods being themselves moved by bell-cranks 23.

Helidal wire springs are provided for restoring the position of any rod 17 after it has been acted on, while blade-springs fixed to the lower ends of the levers 21 engage with pins on the frame and maintain the levers in their proper positions when not being acted on. The bellcranks 23 have connected to them vertical wires or rods 24, which pass down through holes in a guide-bar, 25, fixed to the frame of the machine, and are formed with hooks or projecting pins to engage with eyes on the upper ends of vertical wires or rods 26, which last transmit the movements for the upper or section switch levers, 21, from the mechanism carried by the finger-key frame. This fingerkey frame (shown in Figs. 4 and 5) is made so as to be easily detachable, in order to give access to the switches and other mechanism on the distributing-plate. The finger-keys 27 are vertical rods, which have buttons on their upper ends, having the type-characters marked on them, and are guided vertically in holes in upper and lower horizontal frameplates, 28 29. They are made to act by depressing them, being raised again by helical wire springs, the extent of their upward movement being limited by nuts screwed on their lower ends, and are arranged in rows parallel to the front of the machine, and also so as to form short fore-andaft rows. The several keys in any one fore-andaft row are allotted to a number or section of the types, which are, as nearly as possible, of the same thickness, and they deal each with all the types coming down one section-channel of the distributing-plane and guided into such channel by the upper or section switches, 19.

In Fig. 3 only one minor switch, 20, is shown for each section channel, each such switch having to deal with only two types and being moved for only one of them, its normal position serving for the other; but in a fullsized machine several minor switches appertain to each section-channel, and one or more of them have to be moved for every type of the section excepting one, for which one the normal position of all the switches serves.

In the modification shown in the drawings only the front key, 27, of each section moves a minor switch, 20, being arranged to act on a cranked wire, 30, having a horizontal part,

which is held and can turn ina=groove inver' tical frame-plate. j v

In a full-sized machine there are several rows of keys, 27 (parallel to the'distributionplate,) and therefore more than two keys in each forcand-aft roworsection; and of each fore-and-aft or section iow every key. excepting one has a horizontal fore-and-aftcranked wire, 30, to act on. The several cranked wires of a section (in the full-sized machine) are convenientlv-placed one above the other, as

V are also the projections on .'the-respective minor switch-levers 22, acted on by the crankwires 30. Short arms at the outer ends ofthe several cranked wires 30 are entered into holes in enlarged parts of the-front key-spindles, 27, and the back ends of the wires 30 are formed with cranked arms, which act on projections on the levers 22 of the lower or minor switches 20. These minorswitch-levers 22, when acted on by fin ger-key 27, are prevented from being .moved by their blade-springs back to their normal positions immediately on the fingerkey 27 being allowed to rise, and are kept unrestored until another key'of the same section happens to be subsequently depressed, in order that much time as possible may be allowed for each type to descend, and that there maybe less risk of itsbeing 'guidedinto a wrong terminal groove. This is effectedjby means of what may be termed a sectionbar, 31, which lies horizontally beside each sectional row of finger-key spindles 27, and every spindle is fitted with a pin or projection, 90, which depresses the bar 31 on any key being depressed. y i

A helical spring coiled around a short vertical guide-wire, 91, which passes through the bottom flame-plate, 29, is provided for raising each bar 31 after being depressed.

The sectionbar 31 is at its front end .made with an arm, which is centered on a pin screwed into the front end of the frame-plate carrying the cranked wires 30, audits inner end is passed through and supported by one arm oi a bell-crank lever, 32, also centered on an inner part of the same frame-plate. .Each

section-bar 31 is passed through an eye at the lower end of one of the vertical wires or rods 26, hereinbefore referred to as transmitting the movements to the details by which the upper or section switches 19 are moved. A wire, 33, connects each section-bar 31 to a small lever, 34, which has projecting from one side of it a pin, that in the normal position bears on the beveled upper end ofa'small tumbler-catch, 35, centered on one arm of a retaining-lever, 36. This retaining-lever 36 iscentered loosely on a horizontal rod, 37, fixed to brackets attached to the inner side of the key-frame, and when the finger-key frame is in working position the long armof the retaining-lever 36 projects inward besidethe upper ends of the minor switch-levers 20.

The several retaining-levers 36, one of which is shown in Fig. 8, are held in their proper positions on the rod 37 by small pins screwed holes are elongated to allow of and limit the movements of the, levers 36. 1 Whenever any finger-key 27 .is depressed, and its section-bar 31 consequently lowered, the appropriate small lever 34 is pulled down, and, through the tnmbler-catch35, depresses the retaining-lever 36, the tumbler being then kept in a proper position by a pin onits side catching in a notch in the lever 36. This action raises the inner end of the lever 36 so as to release any switchlever 22 moved over by aprevious action, and to allow any switch-lever thenbeing acted on to pass across, but the tumbler 35 escapes from the lever 34 on that lever approaching its lowest position, and the long fro'nt arm of the retaining-lever 36, being then pressed down by a small blade-sprin g, prevents the switch-lever 22, then moved over, from returning until the retaining'lever 36 is again raised, which will not be until the next occasion of depressing a into the rod through holes in the pieces, which finger-key, 27, of the same section. The tumbler35 is so centered on the lever 36, or so weighted, as, on the lever 34 returning to its normal position, to get under the projection or pin on that lever. The upper or section switches, 19, are also kept from returning to theirnormal positionsafter each action on them, and until the succeeding depression of a finger-key, by mechanism somewhat similar to that j ust described as applied for the like purpose to the minor switches 20. The parts of this mechanism are shown, respectively, in plan and sectional side elevation in Figs. 6 and 7. ever any finger-key is depressed, (in a manner hereinafter explained,) is jointed to a small lever, 34, having a pin or projection, which acts on a tumbler-catch, 35, on an arm, 39, of a le-. .ver-piece centered loosely on a fixed horizontal spindle, and formed with two retaining-lever arms, 40, which act as regards the upper switch-levers, 21. just as the lower set of retaining-levers, 36, act onthe, minor switch-levers 22. The spindle carrying the lever-piece 39 40 is fixed to a bracket, 41, and alight bladespring, 80, is applied todepress the retainingarms 40 after being raised. The wire 38 of the parts just describedis at its bottom jointed to a horizontal rod, 42, which is at right angles to the section-bars 31, and has arms 43 formed at'its ends and centered on the inner part of theVkey-frame. Parallel with the wire '42, and lying all in the same line above the arms of that wire, there are two rods, 44, each formed with arms at its ends and centered on A wire, 38, which is pulled down whenthe vertical frame-plates of the cranked wires 30. These two rods-'44 are just beneath the inner ends of the section-bars 31, one of them being under the first four of the keys 27 and the second one under the remaining four With this arrangement, whenever any fingerkey 27 is depressed one of the rods 44 is depressed, and consequently the rod 42 is simul-.

taneousl y depressed. Spiral metal springs are provided for raising each of the rods 4244 after being depressed. Besides acting on the rod 42, the rods 44 have separate actions, being connected by wires 45 at each side of the machine (and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, only one being shown in Fig. 5,) to bell-crank levers 46 47 above. The upper arm of the bell-crank lever 46 is curved over and acts on a pin on a lower sliding bar, 48. The upper arm of the second bell-crank lever, 47, acts through a small horizontal reversing-lever, 49, upon an upper sliding bar, 50. These sliding bars 48 50 are fitted in'a piece, 51, fixed at the front end of the type-groove 4, and they carry thin metal plates or separators 52, for pushing each type in succession toward the left hand of the forward end of the groove-bottom, so that it may drop down the mouth or opening at the side into the entrance-groove 13 of the distributin g-plane 12. The lower bar, 48, carries a plate or separator, 52, suitable for acting on the thinnest type, while the upper bar, 50, carries a plate or separator, 52, immediately behind the other one, and formed with a shoulder to act thereon, so that whenever the one behind is moved across the type-groove the two go together and serve for acting on the thicker types. Springs are provided for returning the bars 48 50 after each action on them.

Each type, on reaching the bottom of its terminal groove in the distributing-plane 12, is received on a kind of comb or rake, 53, the motion of which transfers it into its groove in the type-tray 2. The type-trays 2 consist of horizontal plates formed or fitted with vertical partition-slips, the spaces between which constitute the grooves for containing the types 1, and the type-trays 2 are placed in rabbeted parts formed in an inclined plate at the base of the machine. The comb or rake 53 (seen in plan in Fig. 1 and section in Fig. ll) slides backward and forward in guides, and is moved by an arm of the bell-crank lever 32, hereinbei'ore referred to as carrying and moving with the inner end of the section-bar 31, and which projects down into a curved slot formed in the comb or rake 53, and in an adjustable plate screwed thereto, and in consequence of the form of the slot it makes the comb or rake perform two reciprocations each time a fingerkey is depressed and released. This action is positive and not dependent on springs, and the comb or rake rests in its innermost position, so that when a type descends it remains supported on it fora short time with its upper end still not quite clear of the glass coveringplate, so that it cannot get thrown out by rebounding.

I claim- 1. The channel 3, for a column of type to be distributed, in combination with theline-groove 4, at a lower level, and the hinged cover 5, adapted to tit against the end of the column of type and prevent the types in the column from interfering with those in the line-groove, as set forth. A

2. The combinatiou'of the pusher 8,. connected to a cord in a groovein the side of the line-groove, with the lever-weight 9, pulley 10, and treadle 11, and connecting-cords, as and for the purpose set forth. 3. The movable mouth-piece 14, in combination with the actuating -lever 16, having beveled sides, and the adjustable screw-pin 18 and rods 17 with adjustable screw-pins, all substantially as described.

4. The distributing-plane, provided with section-channels which branch from a single entrance-channel and are combined with an upper series of sectionswitches, 19, and having two or more single type-grooves controlled by lower minor switches, 20, adapted to enlarged spaces at the bottom of the section-channels, all substantially as set forth.

5. The rods 17, with projections or pins for acting on the month-piece lever 14 and on the section-switches 21, in combination with bellcranks 23, connected by wires 24 26 to the section-bars 31 of the key-frame, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the frame carrying the type-distributing plate 12, type-grooves, and switch-levers with the key-frame carryin g the keys, sectioirbars, and operating-levers connected to the switch-levers so as to be detachable therefrom, the said key-frame being adapted to slide away from the type-distributing frame, as and for the purpose s t forth.

7. The key-frame provided with vertical keys 27 in combination with cranked horizontal fore and-aft wires 30 and minor switchlevers 22, with which the inner ends of said wires engage, as hereinabove set forth.

8. The combination of a section-bar, 31, lever 34, tumble-catch 35, and retaining-lever 36, all arranged to act on the minor switch-levers 22 in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

9. The lever-piece with two retaining-lever arms, 40, in combination with the lever 34 and tumble-catch 35, arranged to act on the upper or section switch levers 21 in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

10. The two separators 52 52, adapted to each other, and the latter having a shoulder or catch to move the first along with it, in combination with rods 48 50, arranged to be depressed respectively by different sets of the section-bars 31, as hereinabove set forth.

11. The combs or rakes 53, for pushing the types into the type-tray grooves, in combination with vibrating lever-arms 32, acting on a curved slot in said combs, as hereinabove set forth.

ALEXANDER EEAsEE.

Witnesses:

. THOMAS MCALPIN,

GLEMT. KINNIS. 

